Medals and records galore at championships
All the club's coaches are accredited by Swim South Africa, have undergone the necessary training and meet the requirements, which include police clearance and Level 1 first aid.
Twenty-eight swimmers from the Florida Swimming Club qualified for the Central Gauteng Aquatics Championships that took place recently.Out of the 28 swimmers who qualified, 25 took part in the championships at the Ellis Park swimming pool.
“The format of the competition was somewhat different and the age groups were separated throughout the day to ensure maximum performance and enjoyment for all swimmers,” said Tracey Hemphill, coach at the Florida Swimming Club.
The senior team, consisting of seven swimmers aged 16 and above, did a sterling job in the pool. “Craig Slabbert, Aerin Nortier, Amy O’ Rourke and Jessica de Beer qualified for the finals in their respective events, with Amy winning a bronze medal in the 50m butterfly. The senior girls team also won a bronze medal in the 4 x 100m freestyle relay,” said Tracey.
The club’s sub-junior team, consisting of 11 swimmers aged between 13 and 15, performed particularly well at the event, according to Tracey. “Most of these swimmers smashed their personal best times, as well as the times required to qualify for the Nationals in March,” she said proudly.
Tammy Frylinck, Demi-Lee Carlisle and Blake Godfrey all posted national qualifying times in addition to winning a number of medals in their respective events. Demi-Lee won a bronze medal in the 100m freestyle as well as a silver medal in the 200m individual medley. Tammy won bronze medals in the 50m backstroke, 800m as well as 200m freestyle. She also won silver medals in the 100m and 200m backstroke. Blake won bronze in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke, as well as a silver in the 200m individual medley.
“We also had a junior team comprising eight swimmers aged 12 and younger, and these little legends managed to score a total of 126 points, making a huge contribution to the team score of 482. The 11-year-old Louis Rabie won a bronze medal in the 50m butterfly in his age group,” Tracey said.
She explained that the competition took place over four days, with heats in the morning and finals in the late afternoon. “The week was demanding and really tested our swimmers. For most of our juniors, it was the first time they were required to perform over a period of days. This was good preparation for the Level 2 and 3 regional championships that will be taking place in April. Overall, the team placed sixth out of 27 clubs, which is our club’s best performance in the history of this championship,” she said.
For more information, contact Tracy on 083 399 1205 or Andy on 083 379 3527. Alternatively, send an email to secretary@floridaswimmingclub.co.za.
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